Adventure activities in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Explore Mgahinga Gorilla National Park In Uganda | Where Gold meets Silver
Embark on a road trip in the pearl of Africa while in a reliable 4×4 car either on guided safari expedition with a professional safari guide or while doing self drive and visit the magnificent Mgahinga gorilla national park.
It is nestled in the southwestern region of the pearl of Africa in Kisoro district and its part of the Virunga conservation area which borders Rwanda and democratic Republic of Congo. This national park is famously known for; endangered mountain gorillas, golden monkeys and extinct volcanoes such as; Mount Gahinga, Mount Muhavura and mount Sabinyo.
History states it that Mgahinga gorilla national park was gazzetted in 1991 by the Uganda wildlife Authority in an area that was a game reserve between the years of 1930 and 1950.
Mgahinga gorilla national park is regarded as one of the smallest national parks in Uganda, spanning an area of 33.9 square kilometers. Though being small, it is an extra ordinary conservation area holding immense ecological and cultural significance.
Just like Bwindi impenetrable forest national park, Mgahinga national park is a home to the endangered mountain gorillas in Africa. It’s a home to one habituated gorilla family which is the Nyakagezi group. This gorilla family is known for its silverbacks and playful juveniles.
On addition to being a home to mountain gorillas, Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is also called a home by the golden monkeys, over 180 species of birds recorded including the crowned hornbill, Rwenzori turaco thus making Mgahinga gorilla national park one of the best places for bird watchers
Wildlife in Mgahinga National Park
The national park is a haven for interesting wildlife. Mountain gorillas are singled out as the star attraction in Mgahinga. Besides the endangered mountain gorillas, the park is also being reffered to as a home by; golden monkeys that are also found in Volcanoes national park.
Other notable creatures in the park include; Elephants, buffaloes, different species of antelopes and rich bird life. Lets take a bried llook at the notable creatures in Mganinga gorilla national park
Mountain Gorillas
Mountain gorillas in the continent of Africa can be seen in mgahinga national park others surving in Bwindi, volcanoes national park and the virunga mountains national park in DRC.
Mgahinga gorilla national park habours only one habituated gorilla family which is called the Nyakagezi gorilla family. This gorilla family is trekked by a maximum number of eight people per day.
Golden Monkeys.
These are stunning primates. To see these golden monkeys in Mgahinga gorilla national park, you can arrange golden monkey tracking adventures. On addition to that, to see them, you need to have a golden monkey permit
Birds
In Mgahinga gorilla national park, the bird species include, white napped raven, yellow vented bulbul, stone chat, pin tailed whydahs, paradise flycatchers, fire finc, black kite, rwenzori turacos, double collared sunbird, blue headed coucal, grey capped warblers, paradise flycatchers, alpinechat.
Activities done in Mgahinga Gorilla national park
1. Gorilla Trekking,
Ideally, the major activity done in this national park is gorilla trekking safaris. Actually most people visit this park to do gorilla trekking. This is an exhilarating encounter which involves hiking through the thick forests of Mgahinga to observe the mountain gorillas as they are in their natural habitat.
It usually starts in the morning which a briefing at the park headquarters. This briefing is where the dos and donts are explained to the people intending to track the gorillas.
After the briefing, you there and then embark on a guided gorilla trekking experience with a game ranger. The trekking experience lasts between 30 to 7 hours depending on the location of the gorillas.
Upon meeting the gorillas, you are only allowed to spend on e hour with the gorillas
2. Golden Monkey Trekking,
Not only does mgahinga gorilla national park offer gorilla trekking safaris, this national park also gives you the opportunity to have a one in a life time activity of golden monkey trekking. Such an encounter is interesting and involves the tourists into moving into the thick forests in search of the golden monkeys.
The golden monkey trekking encounter starts in the morning with a briefing which is conducted at the park head quarters. In this briefing, people are being told about what to expect while in the trekking, the dos and donts.
When the briefing is done, the golden monkey trekking activity begins and it lasts from between 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on the location of the monkeys.
Once you land on the golden monkeys, you are strickly allowed to spend one hour with them while they are in their natural habitat. In this one hour, you get the opportunity to know their behaviours, watch them as they play around, do photography and videography.
3. Mountain Climbing,
Mountain climbing in the Mgahinga gorilla forest national park is done n the three dormant volcanic mountains found within the park.These mountains are;
Gahinga mountain deemed to be 3474 metres high above sea level, hiking to Mount Gahinga takes approximately 6 hours but this depends on the speed of hiking. When at the top, you can spot the crater filled with swamp and giant lobelia.
Mountain Sabinyo, 3669 metres high above sea level where hiking to it takes about 8 hours. While hiking to Mountain sabinyo, you encounter steep ridges, dense forests which have the montane vegetation. Lastly is the mountain Muhavura deemed the highest of the three dormant volcanoes in Mgahinga with an altitude of 4127 meteres high above sea level. And its hiking takes about 10 hours.
4. Bird watching,
With more than 120 species of birds recorded in Mgahinga gorilla national park, the place is a haven for bird watching safaris in Uganda hence one of the best destinations for birding adventures while in Africa.
The bird watching destinations in the park are; bamboo belt, Montane forest, the gorge between Gahinga and Sabinyo. In the park you will see bird species such as; Rwenzoei batis, brown crowned Tchagra, regal sunbird, blue headed sunbird, streaky seedeater, bronze sunbird, dusky turtle dove and many more.
5. Batwa cultural experience
Before being gazzetted in 1991, Mgahinga gorilla national park was the land and home of the batwa tribe. They are also reffered to as the pygmies.The batwa cultural experience commences with a prayer. You then have an opportunity to meet the batwa for the batwa trail experience, getting to know their ancient ways, ancient cultures
Furing this beautiful encounter, the twa guide demonstrtates their hunting, honey harvesting and gathering skills.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park Fees
Activity | Foreign National Residents | Foreign Residents | East African Community |
Gorilla Tracking | USD 800 | USD 700 | UGX 300,000 |
Gorge Walk | USD 30 | USD 15 | UGX 15,000 |
Volcano Climbing (Ugandan students) | N/A | N/A | UGX 5,000 Per person |
Guided long walk (Rushaga to Nyabaremura) | USD 60 | USD 50 | UGX 50,000 |
Golden Monkey Tracking | USD 60 | USD 50 | UGX 40,000 |
Golden Monkey Habituation Experience | USD 100 | USD 80 | UGX 100,000 |
Mgahinga Platform viewing experience | USD 10 | USD 10 | UGX 10,000 |
Best time to visit Mgahinga National Park
Ideally the park can be visited all year through. But the best time to have a trip to Bwindi impenetrable forest park is during the dry season periods. These periods are in the months of June, July, Auguest, September, December and the month of January.
This is so because during these dry seasons, there is less rainfall making the national park accessible making both hiking and gorilla trekking an easy experience as compared to when there is too much rainfall where the roads and tracks are slippery
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